PATEA HARBOUR BOARD

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15789, 10 April 1919, Page 5

PATEA HARBOUR BOARD

PEACE CELEBRATIONS AND MEMORIALS.

HARBOUR BOARD’S ATTITUDE,

The Mayor of Patea (Mr Larcomb) and Cr. A. Davies waited on the Patea Harbour Board on Tuesday at the instigation of a committee interested in a war memorial. The Mayor said that the idea was to make a shorter route to the Beach, to form a road,_ lightly metal it and plant it with shelter trees. Portion of this road would run through the existing Borough Domain, and ten chains would go through the Harbour Board reserve. A triangular piece of land, about seven acres, belonging to the Board, would he cut off from the adjoining property, and the committee asked that this area ehould also be vested in the Borough, or the Borough and Domain Board, so that seaside cottages could be built. An inclined siding would be made down to the beach and so enable the public to reach a good and safe bathing place hy a very much shorter route than travelling to the Heads and returning to the beach, as they have to do at present.

The chairman pointed out that ha was sure the Board would offer no objection to the suggestion, "but he could not ask the present meeting, with three members away, to come to any finality. It would be necessary, also, to ascertain what powers the Board had, and this would be done before tbe next meeting. A large plan, prepared by Mr Thomson, indicated that the proposed road would junction up with Surrey Street and run in a southerly direction to the cliffs. The length would be '7O chains, measured from the Post Office, as against 120 chains to the beach via thp existing Heads Eoad.

A further deputation, consisting of Messrs Glenny, Strouts, and Hare, waited on the Board and mentioned that they were appointed a Finance Committee in connection -with Peace celebrations. The lowest estimate that they could get through with was .£250, plus the Government subsidy, and it was proposed that the celebrations ehould be in the form of'a day for soldiers’ entertainment on Monday, and for children on Tuesday. Mr Dickie remarked that if the Harbour Board gave to one centre, they must also be prepared to subsidise Wa. verley and Hawera, both of which places were within their boundary. The chairman thought that it was fortunate they were in a position to be able to celebrate Peace. Tbe Board had been very careful in the past not to waste much money on this sort of thing, and he thought they might now join with those who were endeavouring to make these celebrations worthy of the great occasion, and agree to a gr to Patea, Waver ley, and Hawera. Crs. Pearce and Dickie were of opinion that moneys for such purposes should be subscribed spontaneously by tbe general public. They did not approve of local bodies granting money for such functions. Cr. Pearce added that every pound the Board could spend on the breakwater meant that the Board was being assisted in doing the greatest possible good to tbe district. After some further discussion, the chairman moved that the Board donate .£2O each to Patea, Waverley, and Hawera.—This was carried.